News Forum - Phuket restaurant caught selling stonefish, known to be venomous

[Thaiger]

Yet another Phuket restaurant has been caught selling a protected fish, this time a stonefish, which is known as the most venomous fish in the world. Yesterday, officials from the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) Phuket Office received a tip-off that the restaurant, located in Rawai sub-district in Phuket’s main city district, was …

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[MrStretch]

It's wrong to be serving up a protected species, but stonefish is edible.

"Scientia is edible to humans when properly prepared. The protein-based toxin breaks down quickly when heated, and the raw stone fish served as part of the sashimi are simply rendered harmless, removing the main source of poison, the dorsal fins." - seafishpool.com

I remember when I lived in Korea, my colleagues would sometimes take me out for fugu (puffer fish) which is also poisonous.  "Properly" prepared it left one with a tingling sensation of the lips. 

I wasn't a fan.

[Karolyn]

Unlike fugu, stonefish meat is not possibly toxic, because the toxin is secreted from venom glands

[Grumpish]

Much easier to see when they are away from their normal location of lurking on top of a rock waiting for some luckless fish to come in range. I have more than one photo that Is "why did I take a picture of a lump of rock" before spotting the stonefish's eye. The venom is purely defensive, if they are disturbed they will raise the spines and position their bodies as a warning gesture.

[Ramanathan.P]

Poor fish...it is very small in the picture that it is hardly clearly visible. Looks like photoshoot for officials

[Grumpish]

1 hour ago, Ramanathan.P said:

Poor fish...it is very small in the picture that it is hardly clearly visible. Looks like photoshoot for officials

Yes, that is a juvenile, adults are around 30cm in length.

[Vigo]

Rawai is certainly living up to its reputation as death's waiting room.

[kalyan]

Most important you will find always an Spy who keeps giving information for such news !!

[HiuMak]

Why take risks eating these "exotic" Seafood.

[Karolyn]

55 minutes ago, HiuMak said:

Why take risks eating these "exotic" Seafood.

The stonefish isn't poisonous to eat